Kanamara Festival

Festival highlights

A highlight is seeing mikoshi with distinctive shapes and colors make their way through the shrine grounds and surrounding area.

Reports on the 2026 festival featured 3 mikoshi: the Kanamara Ōmikoshi, the Kanamara Boat Mikoshi, and the Elizabeth Mikoshi. The pink mikoshi and the attire of the bearers also drew attention.

The mikoshi procession and the lively crowds along the route make a strong impression.

Source: » 令和８年 かなまら祭り 國學院大學 若木睦

Kanayama Shrine’s annual festival, where distinctive mikoshi bring color to spring in Kawasaki

What to expect

At the festival, mikoshi are carried as part of Kanayama Shrine’s annual festival, and the festivities spread from the shrine grounds into the surrounding area.

Some mikoshi carry wooden sacred objects, some have boat-shaped platforms, and others feature large pink designs.

According to festival reports, an event involving the throwing of fertility candy is also held after the mikoshi arrive at Kawasaki Daishi Park.

How to take part

Visitors can watch the event.

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Location and access

Venue and address

Around Kanayama Shrine (within the grounds of Wakamiya Hachimangu Shrine), Kawasaki City

Address 2-13-16 Daishiekimae, Kawasaki Ward, Kawasaki City, Kanagawa Prefecture

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Dates and season

In a typical year, the Yoimiya Festival is held on the second Saturday of April, and the annual festival is held on the second Sunday.

Source: Kanamara Matsuri "Festival of the Steel Phallus" 2027, Kawasaki | Hey Japan!

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Nearby attractions

Nearby, you can enjoy a sightseeing route through the temple-front district centered on Kawasaki Daishi Heikenji Temple.

The Kawasaki Daishi Tourism Association introduces a route from Kawasaki Daishi to Shinsyūen Garden, Ishi Kannon, and Wakamiya Hachimangu Shrine.

Kanayama Shrine, the festival venue, is located within the grounds of Wakamiya Hachimangu Shrine, so you can combine your visit with a walk exploring the history of the shrine and the local area.

Source: 川崎大師観光協会 | 一般社団法人 川崎市観光協会

Parks and gardensKawasaki City · 多摩区

よみうりランド

東京都と神奈川県の境界にある遊園地

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Museums and art museumsKawasaki City · 多摩区

日本民家園

日本の神奈川県川崎市の生田緑地公園内にある日本の古民家を展示する屋外博物館

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Attractions in the same municipality. Check each attraction’s official website for travel distances from the venue and current opening information.

Origins and History of Kanamara Festival

The Kanamara Festival’s religious tradition is said to date back to an event in the Edo period, when the meshimori onna (waitresses) of Kawasaki-juku prayed for protection from sexually transmitted diseases and prosperity in business.

The sexual aspects of the faith were later forgotten for a time, but the present-day festival began in 1977 after foreign folklorists and others visited.

It is said to have developed into its current form by incorporating mikoshi shaped like phalluses and costume parades.

Source: かなまら祭｜開催日時、場所、祭り行く方法や見どころを紹介｜株式会社オマツリジャパン

Official information

You can check the festival dates and location of Kanayama Shrine in the shrine information provided by the Kanagawa Prefecture Shrine Association.

Visit the official website

Kanamara Festival at a Glance

The Kanamara Festival is a spring annual festival held at Kanayama Shrine in Kawasaki Ward, Kawasaki City.

Three distinctive mikoshi appear, offering a glimpse of the festival’s unique traditions through the mikoshi procession and the throwing of fertility candy.

The date for 2027 is currently being confirmed. In a typical year, related festival rites are held on the second Saturday and Sunday of April.